We Will Endure
by Sapphire-Raindrop
Summary: Twenty years after the events of the film, Ronin, now an old man, knows that he's almost out of time. In his last moments, he thinks about a promise he made when he was very young, a promise that changed his life forever.


I've been working on this ever since I saw the movie "Epic", I hope you guys enjoy it!

Please let me know what you think!

**P.S.** Am I the only one who shipped Ronin and Tara more than the two main love interests (M.K. and Nod)?

* * *

**We Will Endure**

an "_Epic"_ fanfic

by Sapphire-Raindrop

* * *

"It's been twenty years," Ronin murmured to himself, his old and wrinkled hands curled around his cup of tea. The sunlight shone brightly through the open window, and he breathed in the smell of the forest, bright and vibrant thanks to a certain–

"Ronin, are you home?" Mary Katherine, the former Stomper, called out from the entryway to his small home on the edge of the colony. Ronin smiled at the sound of her arrival, and turned. M.K. poked her head around the corner of the living room, and beamed, moving toward him. She was almost forty years old now, her reddish brown hair streaked with gray, but she still moved with the confidence of a much younger woman. Ronin blamed her husband for that.

M.K. came to Ronin's house alone today, which wasn't all that surprising. Nod was most likely out flying with his daughters. Ronin shook his head at the thought of three _more_ wonderfully reckless fliers joining the ranks.

Watching her approach him now, clad in Leaf People attire, Ronin couldn't help but remember the day M.K. and her father had been transformed. It wasn't right away, no, it was a good five years after the blossoming of the new Forest Queen.

Harold Bomble and his daughter spent five years as Stompers writing a series of children's stories. They fondly titled the series "The Leaf Men". The stories basically told the tale of the retrieval of the leaf pod, as well as the significance of destroying the Boggans. According to M.K., the books didn't include anything that might lead Stompers to Moonhaven or to any other Leaf People locations; they were just light-hearted stories meant to educate children about the importance of preserving the health of the forest.

After the books were published, the new Queen – a lovely flower by the name of Reia – offered Harold and M.K. the opportunity to join the Leaf People for good. They accepted without hesitation, and Ronin smiled fondly at the memory. Nod hadn't been told of the Queen's actions, as he had been out on patrol at the time. So when he came back to find that M.K. had been transformed to Leaf People size, he couldn't speak for a good thirty seconds. He just stared, sliding off of his bird but not taking his eyes off of M.K., not even for a second. Ronin could imagine what he was going through – five years of being separated by size and distance had to have been enough for Nod to think that perhaps he and M.K. would be separated forever.

M.K. was the first to move, but Nod met her halfway, and the two silently held each other. Nod's arms were so tight around her that M.K. was almost lifted off the ground. They didn't speak; they didn't need to. Harold watched on happily, his smile full of pride.

Harold had passed on three years ago, at the age of seventy.

The whole community had felt the loss. Harold was an odd sort, but in time he won over all of Moonhaven with his energy and enthusiasm. Harold and Ronin had become rather close, surprisingly enough. After a year or so of exploring the forest with the Leaf Men and learning all there was to know, Harold calmed down a bit, and Ronin found a dear friend in the man.

M.K. had taken Harold's death especially hard, but in time she was able to return to her usual self. Time was the universal healer of all things. It didn't heal things so that they were never there; it left scars, some big and some so small that they were almost invisible. But they were there all the same.

"I see the concept of knocking hasn't sunk in quite yet," Ronin commented, and M.K.'s shoulders hunched guiltily. The older man laughed; it was still so easy to tease her, even after all these years.

Ronin continued. "But I suppose it doesn't matter. Even if you did knock, you'd end up coming in by yourself anyway. I'm too old to make it to the door with any speed."

M.K.'s bright green eyes softened, and she didn't respond. Ronin smiled up at her, and gestured for her to sit opposite him. Ronin had brought out two cups, and reached over to the tea tray in order to pour her some tea. She thanked him, and the two sat in silence for a time, sipping at their drinks and watching the trees sway and whisper with the wind.

"The girls really enjoy their new saddles. Nod and I couldn't figure out who was responsible for them, seeing as someone just _left _them outside our house. But then I asked around, and you can imagine how surprised I was to find that you were the one to design and order them," M.K. commented causally, sneaking a look over at Ronin.

Ronin smiled. "I may not be able to fly like I used to, but I can still make a good saddle. It's been keeping me busy for the past few months. Your girls were actually doing me a favor."

"Well, thank you. They were so happy when you came out last week to watch them race."

"They're turning out to be just like their father; bold, reckless, but damn can they fly," Ronin said wryly, and M.K. laughed. Her fingers – just beginning to show signs of age – traced the rim of her empty teacup, and Ronin looked up to see her face traced with sadness.

Somehow, M.K. knew that Ronin's death was soon to come. He could see the knowledge in her leaf-green eyes, in the almost imperceptible tenseness of her smile. Ronin himself had known for a while, it was what had prompted him to make Nod's daughters their saddles. He could feel the cold in his bones; he could feel it permeating his thoughts, weighing him down. Ronin didn't try to deny it, instead reaching out to place his hand over M.K.'s, patting it gruffly.

The rest of the visit was pleasant and light-hearted, mostly reliving old memories and M.K. bringing Ronin up to speed on the workings of her children. Their oldest daughter Talina was planning enter the Leaf Acadmey soon, while the twins – Emma and Lorah – were too busy causing havoc with the other children to think about warrior training. Nod was still proudly commanding the Leaf Men; he had visited Ronin just two days ago, and the two had spent an entire afternoon outside in the garden. Nod had even managed to get Ronin on a bird, and for all of his aches and pains it was one of the best flights that Ronin could remember going on. Perhaps it was because he knew that it was his last.

When the sun began to set over the trees, Ronin finally said goodbye to M.K. The old man watched her walk out of his house and down the path, having made the painful journey over the door to send her off. They didn't speak of the truth they both knew, but the farewell hug had been especially tight.

The retired Leaf Man didn't need to ask her to take care of Nod; he had watched her do just that for fifteen years. Nod would take care of M.K., too, so that was another weight off of Ronin's shoulders. Seeing the two together made Ronin think of Nod's parents. They would have been so proud.

Ronin smiled, and shuffled over to his sitting chair. He eased back into the comfortable padding and leaning his head back, his blue eyes staring out at the forest as it prepared for nighttime.

_"Why are you crying?" _a much younger Ronin asked, and if Ronin tried he could see two young children meeting for the first time – the young boy was standing beside a crouched girl who was hurriedly trying to hide her tears.

The old man's breath escaped him in a tired sigh, and he closed his eyes.

It wouldn't be long, now.

* * *

Young Ronin was on his way to meet up with his friends when he heard the sound of crying. The boy wasn't sure what to make of the sound, but his father had always told him that Leaf Men helped when someone was hurting, so his mind was soon made up.

Ronin turned away from the path, away from his friends, and made his way through the grass. The boy's dark blonde hair shone in the sunlight, and he winced as a grass blade caught in his hair. He followed the sound of crying until he reached a spot a little ways from the worn path, near a small pond of water created by the rainstorm a few days ago.

The source of the crying was a girl. She was crouched by the water's edge, and Ronin recognized her immediately. Everyone knew everyone in the colony, if not by name then at least by sight. Ronin had seen this girl every day for as long as he could remember – her warm brown skin and shiny dark hair made her easy to spot. He couldn't remember her name though, and his face scrunched up in thought as he tried to recall it. He did know that she was the same age as he was, though. Five years old.

He must have made some sort of noise as he approached, though, because the girl whipped her head around. Her light brown eyes widened, and she hurriedly scrubbed at her face, a wide smile appearing on her lips. This made Ronin frown; why was she smiling when it was obvious that she was sad?

"Hi Ronin!" she said, her voice all choked up from her crying, and Ronin blinked. She knew his name? How did she know his name?

"Why are you crying?" he asked. He needed to know why she was sad so that he could help. Leaf Men always helped, and Ronin's chest puffed at the thought of becoming one someday. The girl's lips trembled, and she didn't reply for a while.

Then, she seemed to crack, and her smile slid from her mouth. Tears fell from her eyes like little rivers, and she buried her face into her hands, sobs shaking her shoulders.

"I-I was g-getting some flowers f-for my Mom, and then this c-_chimpmunk _came out of nowhere! It was so scary, a-and I ran away, but I f-fell and hurt my _foot_! I just want to go home!" the girl cried, and Ronin peered around to see that her ankle was swollen.

Ronin walked over and knelt next to her, staring at her face and trying desperately to come up with a name. He knew her, at least a tiny bit, and so he _should_ know her name.

"Tara!" Ronin cried triumphantly. Tara frowned, wiping her tears away to raise her eyebrows at him.

"Y-Yeah?" she asked, her tone confused.

Ronin flushed, and changed the to cover up his embarrassment. "My Dad always says that when someone hurts their ankle, they shouldn't walk on it. I can carry you on my back if you want."

Tara bit her lip, her teeth shockingly white against the dusky-pink of her mouth. "Are you sure you can carry me?"

Ronin grinned. "Yeah! I carry my friend Nodak all the time, and he's _way_ heavier than you!"

Tara giggled, and this time her smile was genuine. "Okay then."

Ronin moved so his back was facing Tara, and she slid her arms around his neck. He carefully gripped under her knees, and on the count of three got to his feet. Tara clamped her knees down on either sides of his waist, and Ronin adjusted before making his way back to the main path.

"Ronin?" Tara asked after several minutes of walking.

"Yeah?"

"What if the chipmunk comes back?"

Ronin turned his head to smile at her. "Don't worry, I'll protect you!"

"You will?"

"Uh huh."

"Pinky promise?" Tara asked, her voice pleading.

Ronin had never made a pinky promise before, but he had seen other kids do it. Some people gave pinky promises all the time, but Ronin's mother had warned him about promises. _A promise lasts forever, _she always said. A pinky promise must last forever, too.

The boy stopped on the path, easing up one hand so that their pinky fingers could link. Her finger was small, smaller than Ronin's, and her skin was a sharp contrast to his.

"Pinky promise," Ronin echoed.

* * *

"You need to smile more, Ronin. Honestly, I know you're a Leaf Man now, but there's no need to be so _serious_ all the time!" twenty-year-old Tara chided, purposefully mussing up his carefully combed hair. Ronin endured her ministrations, rolling his eyes in an attempt to hide the smile that threatened to cross his lips.

Tara's eyes were golden-brown in the light of the sunset, and her grin was as carefree as always. "If _I_ were Queen, I'd want Leaf Men who actually let loose once and a while."

"Well, good thing you aren't Queen, then," Ronin said, flashing her a smirk. Tara laughed, and finally stopped messing with his hair in order to lie back on the tree branch. Ronin joined her, his sword heavy and familiar at his side.

"I can't believe that the Queen is choosing a new heir. It seems so strange…someone _else _will be ruling the forest after tonight."

"How is that strange? It's always been this way," Ronin reminded her, and Tara playfully kicked her foot against his.

"I know, it's just…weird, I guess."

Ronin didn't answer, instead turning his head to look at her. She was so beautiful in the dark green dress she wore, her profile sweet and familiar as she stared up into the tree's branches. Ronin's heart thumped unevenly in his chest at the way she turned to look at him, so kind and gentle and _Tara_.

The young man was painfully aware of the wooden ring in his pocket. It was carved with flowers, and had taken Ronin several months to get just right. He had asked Tara's closest female friend to get a ring of Tara's, so that he would make it the correct size.

Now, all Ronin had to do was swallow the terror and ask her to marry him.

He was a Leaf Man, he had been for the past three years. He had engaged in battle with Baggons so many times that it was practically second nature, he had fallen from great heights, he had fought off countless creatures without so much as a grimace of fear. And yet asking Tara to be his wife was proving to be more terrifying than all of those combined.

What if she said no?

They hadn't dated, but they were so close that they might as well be. They didn't kiss, but Tara and Ronin were still impossibly comfortable with each other. There was no way that it was platonic, no, Ronin had made sure of that before even considering marriage.

Ronin didn't need months of kissing and resisting temptation to prove to himself and to everyone else that he wanted to marry Tara. He _wanted_ to marry her, he had wanted to for a year already. But he had waited, and in that time he had slowly begun to show more physical affection. A touch on the lower back to guide her when they were in a crowded room, holding hands, hugging her when they were alone. He did these not only to ease the burning inside of him, but also to gage her reaction.

He was beyond relieved to find that Tara seemed just as desperate to touch him. She never said anything about it, but they never needed to. Some things were so clear that explaining them would be repetitive. She would cup his face in her hands when she wanted his attention, she would lean her head against his shoulder, brush his knuckles with the tips of her fingers…

Ronin wasn't sure why they had never kissed, but in the back of his mind he had a feeling that Tara was waiting for him to take that final step. He had always been hesitant to tie himself down, and the fact that she still wanted him after all of this time made Ronin so happy that he could hardly keep from grinning whenever he saw her.

Tara turned to look at him, and she sighed.

"We should probably head back. The Blossoming will be happening soon," she said reluctantly, and Ronin nodded, getting to his feet and holding out a hand for her. She took it, her grip strong and sure. They held hands all the way to the end of the branch, where Ronin's bird was waiting.

"Up you go," Ronin said, waiting to help the woman up onto the bird, and Tara turned to raise an eyebrow at him.

"I think I need some help; are you sure I don't go _down_?" she teased.

Ronin sighed theatrically, and relished Tara's surprised squeal when he swept her up into his arms, spinning her in a quick circle. Both of them were laughing, and their faces were close when Ronin came to a stop. Tara's eyes were gazing up into his, her lips parted and her breath warming Ronin's chin.

"I'm pretty sure you go up," Ronin murmured, and slowly placed Tara on the saddle. He sat behind her, and swallowed hard when she leaned back against him. He reached for the reins, and flew them back to Moonhaven.

He'd ask her to marry him tonight after the new Queen was chosen, under the light of the full moon.

But that proposal would never come to pass, because when the leaf pod opened, the bright golden magic went straight for Tara. Ronin, who was standing with his squad beside the Queen, was forced to watch as Tara was surrounded by a cocoon of light. He couldn't say a word, his body so heavy with grief that it felt like he was drowning in it.

The Queen couldn't marry. It was one of the oldest laws; the Queen was duty-bound to put the Forest first, and couldn't afford to form romantic attachments. The raw truth of the situation hit Ronin in a sudden rush, as the light faded and Queen Tara stood in the light's place.

The previous Queen bowed her head, and the rest of the colony took that as a cue to kneel. Ronin did so mechanically, not having the strength to look Tara – her Highness, now – in the eye.

The moment it was appropriate to leave, when everyone was coming forward to congratulate and offer their blessings, Ronin strode from the room. His eyes were smarting, and he blinked rapidly to ease the sting.

He was so distraught that he didn't see Tara following him with her gaze, didn't see the tears filling her eyes and the falseness of her smile as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

The ring was a leaden weight in Ronin's pocket, and he viciously ripped the pocket open, pulling out the ring and glaring at it. His feet slowed until he was standing by the large pool of water that fronted Moonhaven. In the moonlight, the ring was beautiful, the flowers glowing silver.

On the inside of the band was carved: _You are my smile. _

Ronin felt the tears fall, and held the ring to his lips, kissing it for several long moments. Then, he threw it as far as he could, and watched the ripples as it hit the water. He stood there, watching the surface smooth out once again.

_I will keep my promise. _

Those were the only coherent words going through Ronin's mind, and it was true. Ronin would protect Queen Tara as he had protected Tara the girl he considered his best friend, the girl he had hoped to marry. He could keep his promise. After all, he had pinky promised.

That promise was all he had.

* * *

They never spoke of what might have happened had Tara not been chosen as Queen. Ronin was determined to pretend that he had never even thought of pursuing Tara in that way, though of course he wasn't able to, not even a little. Every day was a reminder of what he could have had, and it was bittersweet torture. Ronin was bitter and cold at first, and their interactions were stiff and awkward, nothing like it had been before the Blossoming.

It made him angry that Tara was able to get over their relationship so easily, like it didn't even matter to her. In a way, he was punishing her, but in the end the only one he was punishing was himself.

When Ronin was elected to be Commander of the Leaf Men at the age of twenty-two, something changed. The duty of a Commander is to act as the Queen's right hand man, her confidant, and her advisor.

On the day Ronin was appointed the position, he met with Tara alone for the first time in nearly two years. It was then that he realized how silly he had been, how much he had missed Tara's company. Becoming Queen hadn't changed her at all, and it was only after several days of being Commander that Ronin recognized how perfect of a Queen she was.

Tara had been born to be the Forest Queen. The traits had always been there, but Ronin had been too stubborn to see them. Seeing Tara talk to her subjects, touch the plants and whisper to them like a mother…it was what Tara was _made_ to do. It was her calling, just as being a Leaf Man was Ronin's calling.

He couldn't be mad at her anymore, and he couldn't be bitter about how things had turned out.

And with that simple realization, the awkwardness between Ronin and Tara was abolished. They still didn't discuss their relationship, but they did reminisce on past times, and were able to move forward.

The next eighteen years was spent in a surprisingly harmonious way, and as time went on Ronin was able to see how much Tara cared about him, still, even after becoming Queen. They were still friends, the best of friends.

Ronin was still hopelessly in love with her, and as the years went by Ronin couldn't find it in him to let her go and find another woman to love. He had promised to protect her when they were young and he had sworn to stay by her side as Commander of the Leaf Men. How could he marry another, share a home and children with her, when he would always be thinking of Tara?

He couldn't. He _wouldn't._

* * *

Tara was fifty years old when she decided to pick an heir. It was rather unusual, for the Queen to have to pick an heir at such a young age – the previous Queen had been seventy-three when she relinquished her title. But since the Blossoming was set to occur that night, Tara would have to make a decision.

Ronin could have been imagining it, but Tara seemed more than happy to relinquish her role as the Forest Queen.

When the Boggans attacked after Tara chose the pod, chaos had broken loose, and Ronin and Tara were separated. Ronin fought Boggan after Boggan, struggling to spot her. She had always been so easy to spot, and yet in the battle her form kept evading his sight. Ronin supposed that he should be happy for that; if he, her closest friend, couldn't see her, it would be near impossible for the Boggans.

Ronin was flying up one of the trees when he finally spotted her. She was running, so graceful and beautiful, the pod tucked protectively to her chest. Her expression was fierce, the branches and leaves bending effortlessly to her will.

He waited until she jumped, and then swept up to catch her.

"Need a ride?" Ronin teased, and Tara smiled impishly, her eyes bright with power and cheeks flushed with the excitement of battle.

Their faces were so close, as close as they had been that morning in Tara's sanctuary in Moonhaven. She had been much more forward that morning; it had taken Ronin by surprise, because she was usually so careful to keep their relationship purely platonic.

Tara's nose nearly touched his, her breath warming his chin. The hand not holding the pod rested on his chest, her slender fingers curving slightly into the ridges of his armor. It reminded Ronin of the night she had been chosen as Queen, the night all of his plans for their future fell apart.

For the first time in years, Ronin felt the burning need to just lean down and _kiss_ her. Usually he was able to smother the impulse with logic and reason, but for some reason…the self-restraint was beyond his reach. Tara's eyes flickered around his face, almost desperately, and she ducked into his chest as a black arrow sped past them.

_Black arrow?_

Ronin turned to see Mandrake and his son speeding along behind them, perched on hideous looking crows. Mandrake's sharp teeth were bared in triumph, and he and his son shot arrows at the same time. The son's arrow was slow and clumsy, and Ronin was able to duck aside and snatch it out of the air, mounting it on his own bow and firing.

"Gotcha," Ronin hissed when his arrow hit its mark. Mandrake's son fell like a stone, his gruesome face twisted in pain. Mandrake bellowed, and swooped down after the falling soldier.

"Tara, are you–" Ronin asked, forgetting for a split second to call her 'Your Highness". But his words died on his lips, because Mandrake's arrow was sticking out of Tara's side.

He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe. No, no, no, no–

A bolt of lightening cracked across the sky. Ronin's bird spooked, and Tara slid off of the saddle, falling much like Mandrake's son had just moments ago.

Ronin tried to dive after her, but another crack of lightening filled the sky, and his bird refused to obey his commands. He shouted and screamed her name until his throat was hoarse, and he almost didn't notice it when his fellow Leaf Men caught up to him. They reported that they had fended off the Boggans, and that they had seen the Queen running up the tree below them.

Ronin didn't speak; how could he?

Finally, the lightening ceased, and Ronin led his men down to where Tara had fallen. He prayed to everything he knew, he prayed to the sun and the leaves and the roots of every tree…

_Please let her be alive. _

They found the Queen on the forest floor, a strangely clad girl with bright reddish-brown hair kneeling over her. Ronin tossed aside his weapons, uncaring of what his men thought of him for doing so, and ran to Tara's side.

She was breathing shallowly, and Ronin saw the horrible wound on her side, how much precious blood she had lost. Ronin had seen numerous men fall to Boggan arrows; he knew the signs.

Tara wasn't going to make it.

Tara wasn't going to _make_ _it_.

Ronin carefully maneuvered her into his arms. The painful grimace smoothed from her face when she saw him, and her body relaxed into his embrace.

_I'm sorry_, Tara's eyes said, and Ronin shook his head, not wanting her to feel any guilt. It was his fault she had gotten shot, it was his fault that he had let her fall off of the bird. She had no reason to be sorry. It wasn't her fault.

They didn't speak, but for Ronin those few moments of silence were more precious than anything. He leaned down until their foreheads were touching, closing his eyes and holding her tightly. She smelled as wild and pure as she always had, her skin warm for a little longer.

Just a little longer.

He felt it when Tara passed. Her body went limp, her last breath expelled in a soft sigh. The life was gone, _Tara_ was gone, but Ronin refused to open his eyes. If he did he would lose the small degree of control he had left.

_"Don't worry, I'll protect you!" _

There was a flush of warmth, and Tara's body faded away. Ronin opened his eyes, and found them free of tears. The golden light flowed like water, streaming into the pod that was currently in the strange girl's hands.

Ronin watched it go, and felt a surge of strength at the sight. The small pod pulsed, but not with the power of the Forest. No, Ronin looked at it and all he could see and feel was Tara. Sweet, fierce Tara. His Tara, forever and always.

There was still a way that he could keep his promise. He may not have protected Tara's body, but her spirit, her life force…it was in that pod.

With that in mind, Ronin got to his feet, and turned to face the gangly girl with green eyes and odd clothing. Tara's pod was in her arms, and Ronin looked at it before looking at the girl.

_I can still protect you, Tara._

* * *

There was a bright light filling Ronin's world. It should have burned, but instead it was gentle, soft and sweet. Ronin opened his eyes, expecting to find the interior of his room but instead finding himself standing on the bridge separating Moonhaven from the rest of the forest. The moon hung above him, but there was a strange sort of glow that surrounded everything.

People wandered the shore, laughing and talking in loud voices. The water was calm and smooth, and Ronin frowned at the sight of his reflection. It was himself, but as a young man. His hair was dark blonde and thick, his skin free of the wrinkles that had accumulated over the years.

Was he dreaming?

"Hello there," a male voice sounded, and Ronin turned to see a much younger Harold Bomble standing beside him, smiling toothily.

"Harold? But you're…" Ronin began, but then paused, looking around at the forest once more. His eyes widened as he caught sight of a particular man and woman walking along the water's edge, smiling and laughing.

But his parents were dead; they had been dead for at least twenty-five years! And there was Nodak, Nod's father, flying on a bird with his wife, Illia. Various other people, familiar to Ronin, made themselves known, and Ronin's confusion only increased. The air was filled with the sounds of the forest, but there was a particular peace to it, a serene sort of feeling.

"Dead? Yeah, I am. So are you, Ronin," Harold explained gently, and Ronin blinked. He stared down at his hands, and saw how youthful they were. He clenched them together, and felt their strength; he felt the pinch of his fingernails against his palm.

"Then…what is this place?" Ronin asked, and Harold leaned against the bridge railing, his eyes – M.K.'s eyes – looking up at the full moon.

"Well, to be honest, I'm not a hundred percent sure. I've had some time to think about it, though, so I'll try to fill you in. According to everyone I've met here, this existence is a purgatory of sorts. All of the beings of the Forest come here when they die, and when they're ready, they pass on and become part of the Forest. Not reincarnation, exactly, more like they become particles of energy; they become a part of Nature's cycle. Most people pass on a few days after coming here, but a lot of us…well, we've got people we need to see before we go for good. I've got M.K., Illia and Nodak want to see Nod, and…well…"

Harold trailed off, staring pointedly over Ronin's shoulder. Ronin turned, and his heart nearly stopped in his chest.

Tara.

Tara was standing before him, wearing that long green dress he remembered her wearing before her being chosen as Queen. She was as young as Ronin was, but her eyes were wise beyond her appearance, and it was those eyes that he focused on. They grounded him, they kept him standing on his own two feet.

"I'll give you two some time. Come join the rest of us when you're ready," Harold suggested, and clapped Ronin's shoulder before moving toward the mainland, whistling off-key as he always did.

The sight of a living, breathing Tara was a shock, and Ronin wasn't surprised to find that his voice had gone off and vanished. After twenty years without her face and her voice…Ronin couldn't begin to think of what to say. Part of him was scared that he would wake up back in his lonely house, but another part didn't care; seeing Tara was more than worth the heartache.

Tara took a deep breath, and the sound of her voice nearly brought Ronin to tears.

"Ronin, do you know why I was so eager to pass on my title as Queen?"

The question was so random that it threw Ronin off guard, and when he recovered he managed to shake his head. Tara took a step closer, and Ronin automatically tensed. Years upon years of training himself to reject her physical closeness came back in waves, and Tara's eyes shone with sadness.

"I was glad, because it meant that after all that time of _waiting_, I could finally be free to be with the person I loved."

Ronin's breath froze in his chest, because she was giving him that look. The look she had given him the morning of her death, the look she had given him the night of the Blossoming, when he picked her up and swung her onto his bird.

Tara was trying to remain calm, but her lips still trembled. "And when I was dying, all I could think was that I was so _sorry_, because after all those years of waiting for me, I wasn't able to tell you how I felt. I'm so sorry, Ronin. I'm so sorry, because I love you, and you loved me once–"

"I never stopped loving you," Ronin barked, harsher than he intended. Tara looked up at him, and Ronin hated the sight of tears in her eyes, but at the same time he relished the emotion behind them. "I never stopped loving you, Tara, not for one second. Do you know what I was going to do, the night you became Queen? After the Blossoming, I was going to take you to this spot, and ask you to marry me. I had it all planned out, had the ring and everything."

Tara's expression of shock was so amusing that Ronin almost laughed. But he was too focused on the planes and curves of her face, the surprise and joy in her eyes. Filled with realization, Ronin took a step forward, and reached into his pocket. He knew what was in there, and he felt a stab of hope when his fingers clenched around a small wooden ring.

"We both been waiting for each other, but I'm here now. Let's be done with waiting. I love you, and now I finally get to show you how much."

Ronin knelt, and, under the full light of the moon, offered Tara his hand-carved ring.

"Will you marry me, Tara?"

Tara's face spread with the most beautiful smile that Ronin had ever seen, and she nodded furiously. Ronin's heart swooped and soared, because after a lifetime of wanting and waiting, he was finally able to say the four words that had plagued his younger self for so many years.

Ronin rose, and lifted the ring up to Tara's eyes. "You always told me that I should smile more, you always wondered where my smile was. Well…" Ronin trailed off, handing her the ring. Tara peered at it, and read the engraved words.

Her hand flew up to cover her mouth, and the tears finally spilled over her cheeks. Ronin slowly slid the ring onto her finger, and engulfed her in a tight hug. She was so warm, so familiar, and Ronin felt tears of his own fill his eyes. The years of longing, the years of loneliness and regret…they all seemed so far away. All that mattered was that Tara and he were finally together, finally as one.

"I love you," Ronin murmured into her hair, and Tara's arms tightened around his waist.

"I love you," Tara echoed, and Ronin pulled away slightly. Her face was so close, and Ronin let out a soft laugh before leaning down to kiss her.

Kissing her was like kissing a beam of sunlight.

After several long seconds, they parted, and Tara touched her lips with her finger, a contented smile crossing her face. Ronin leaned down to kiss her again, simply because he _could_. They may be in the afterlife, but Tara's lips were warm and firm and _real_.

M.K. and Nod would come through here eventually, and that would be a bittersweet reunion. Harold would pass on for good once he was reunited with M.K., and it would be a permanent farewell.

There would come a time when Ronin and Tara would be apart once more, no longer individual beings but a part of everything. But surely their love wouldn't disappear so easily. No, their love would be a soft whisper in the wind, a flicker of life in a budding flower, a persevering spot of green in the darkest nights of winter.

But until that time came, Ronin was content to live the life he had been denied so long ago, a life with Tara by his side.

It was enough.


End file.
